


Paradise and Pretend

by laufeyslut



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ashley is a character I made up, Boyfriends, Cliche, F/M, Fake Boyfriends AU, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Stony - Freeform, They actually fall in love, Thor pretends to be with Loki, Thorki - Freeform, Vacation, i dont know what else to put, just read the fic, marvel AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 12:15:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16085906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laufeyslut/pseuds/laufeyslut
Summary: “Alright, so what do I have to do?” Thor asked. This was going way easier than he thought it should. What kind of guy just agrees to be someone’s, especially someone like Loki, fake boyfriend for a week and a half? He pushed down his confusion.“Just be my boyfriend all next week. And be believable.” Loki said. There wasn’t really more to it, was there?





	1. One

The vase smashed into the wall and shattered into a million tiny pieces, falling to the ground along with the ashes that had once been inside. It should have made Loki horrified, watching the remains of his beloved grandmother tumble to the floor like that, but he didn't even really see it, he saw red. In a voice hollow and menacing, he snarled at her, “Get the fuck out of my house.”

Ashley, Loki’s girlfriend of almost two years, let out a humorless laugh, crossing her arms over her chest, “I’m not going anywhere. It’s a stupid vase, get over it.”

Loki clenched his fists, blood boiling.  _ I’m going to end up in prison _ , he thought. “Ashley..” He started cautiously, voice shaking, “Get out of my goddamn house before one of us ends up somewhere we shouldn’t.” 

“Loki, I’m not going anywhere. I’m your fucking girlfriend.” She said, as if that were a good reason for her to stay somewhere she was not welcome. Somewhere she hadn’t been welcome in months. 

Before he could think, he shouted, “There’s someone else!” 

And just like that, it was like time had frozen. Ashley’s jaw dropped open, and she stood there looking like a fish out of water as the seconds crawled past. Loki felt like the room was spinning. 

“You’re cheating on me?!” Ashley all but screamed, snapping herself out of her shocked trance, “Who is she? I’ll beat her fucking ass.” 

Loki smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he put himself into more of a mess, “First off, it’s a  _ he _ . And second, you wouldn’t stand a chance, bitch.” 

Loki watched as the woman across from him stuttered over her words, clearly shocked. And for a minute, Loki was satisfied. Then she opened her big mouth again. 

“Okay, fine. Bring him on the Spring Break vacation next week.” She suggested, cocking out her hip as if she’d caught Loki in the middle of something. 

The Spring Break vacation. Next week, a bunch of people that were in Loki and Ashley’s “friend group” were going to spend their spring break together in Tony Stark’s, Tony Stark was Loki’s best friend- super rich and super smart, beach mansion. Yes, a mansion. 

Shit. Now Loki had to find a guy. 

“Fine. I’ll see if he wants to. But I don’t see why  _ anyone _ would want to spend a week vacationing with you. Just get the hell out of my house.” Loki spat quickly, leading her to the front door. Ashley protested the whole way, talking about how most of her stuff was here and how she had nowhere to go and had a right to stay, but Loki ignored her. And soon she was gone and the door was locked and Loki was finally alone. 

He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes and trying to get his breathing under control. How the hell was he supposed to find someone to pretend to be his boyfriend for a week? He opened his eyes. This sounded like just the thing Tony could help him with. 

 

Ten minutes later, he was in front of the apartment that Tony shared with his boyfriend, Steve. And their roommate. Loki knocked lightly on the door then took a step back, bouncing on his heels as he waited. A few seconds later, it was opened by a laughing Tony, who unsurprisingly had a drink in his hand. 

He looked at Loki, recognition filling those deep brown eyes, and his face broke out in a grin. “Loki!” He exclaimed, ushering his raven-haired friend inside, “What are you doing here?” 

Loki gave a small smile, looking into their big, open living room. Steve was sitting on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in his lap and some comedy Loki hadn’t heard of flickering on the TV. “I have a small issue, and I thought I’d see what you think.” Loki explained, turning his attention back to the genius billionaire. 

“You came to the right place,” Tony walked over to the couch, sitting next to Steve and throwing his legs onto the blonde’s lap, “What’s up?” 

Loki tucked his hair behind his ear and sat down in a lounge chair across from his two friends, “Well, you see, Ashley and I… we’re not happy. We haven’t been for awhile. Her and I can hardly be in the same room without ending up screaming at the top of our lungs. So, we were fighting, and I told her I was seeing someone else. I just wanted her to get out of my house, really. And now she wants me to bring the person I’m seeing, who’s a guy in this fantasy I made up, on vacation with us. The thing is, I don’t have a guy.”

Tony and Steve sat in silence for a second, trying to process and understand Loki’s words and what was being asked of them. And when they did get it, Tony burst out laughing. 

“Oh my god!” He exclaimed, taking a break to laugh some more, “You are in some deep shit, my friend.”   
Loki scowled, crossing his legs, “Yes, I know that. That’s why I came to you. Now stop laughing and help me.” 

Tony quieted his laughing, pretending to wipe his eyes, but the grin stayed on his face nonetheless. “Sorry, sorry. You’re right. We will help. So you need a guy? Hmm…” The brown eyed man said, screwing his lips up in thought, “Oh! I got it!” 

Both Loki and Steve raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. 

And continue he did, “Our roommate. He’s perfect. Super nice. Way easy on the eyes.  _ And  _ he is into guys. Sort of. He plays for both teams. It’ll be great!” 

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but this had not been it. But before he could say anything, Tony was yelling. 

“Hey, Thor! Come here a second!” 

The thudding of footsteps could be heard, and then there was a man standing in the doorway. Loki looked over, and his heart stuttered. 

Way easy on the eyes was such an understatement. 

This guy was gorgeous. Like, a gift from the gods gorgeous. His magnificent face was framed by flawless golden locks pulled back into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, his eyes bright blue and electric, drawing Loki in, his lips pink and plump and kissable, with a jawline stronger than Loki’s wifi connection. This masterpiece continued to his shoulders, broad and strong, golden skin showing with the muscle shirt he was wearing. And if we’re talking about muscles, this guy was ripped. With biceps the size of Loki’s face and abs that clearly showed through the thin fabric of his shirt. He was what Loki dreamed the perfect man would look like. 

It was then that Loki realized he’d been staring. And the conversation had gone on without him. 

“Wait, so I need to pretend to be your friend’s boyfriend for a week?” Thor asked, confusion on his face as he looked down at Tony. Loki blinked. They were talking about him. Duh, of course they were. 

“Yeah. He accidentally lied to his girlfriend that he was seeing some other dude and now he needs the evidence to back it up. We want you as the evidence.” Tony explained. Loki sighed. 

“Not exactly evidence, I just need you to pretend to be in love with me for a week so my girlfriend, well… ex-girlfriend, will leave me alone.” Loki clarified, watching the expressions on Thor’s face. What was he thinking?

“That sounds pretty easy.” This absolute god of a man said, and Loki nodded.

“So you’ll do it?” Loki asked. Thor nodded, sitting in a chair to the right of Loki. 

“Of course. Tony and Steve have done so much for me, I’d love to help you out.” Thor explained, resting his ankle on the knee of his other leg, “So, explain to me the situation.” 

“Well, my girlfriend, if you can even call her that, and I haven’t been happy in a long time and I sort of tried to kick her out today but she wouldn’t leave, so I blurted that I was seeing someone. And she got all jealous and judgy and asked who the girl was. So I said it was a guy, knowing that would get to her. And that shut her up for a second, but then she said I should bring him to the Spring Break vacation next week and I agreed. So… here we are.” Loki rested his chin in his palm. 

“Alright, so what do I have to do?” Thor asked. This was going way easier than he thought it should. What kind of guy just agrees to be someone’s, especially someone like Loki, fake boyfriend for a week and a half? He pushed down his confusion.

“Just be my boyfriend all next week. And be believable.” Loki said. There wasn’t really more to it, was there?

“Believable is the key. Be cute and loving and happy. In love, you know. And if you have to do the dirty to get yourself in that mindset, go ahead.” Tony suggested, grinning. 

Loki let out a laugh, “No, we don’t have to do that. We just have to pretend we’re together for a week. That’s all. No strings attached.” 

Thor laughed, a big, booming sound that made Loki feel happy, and the conversation continued. 

And as Loki watched Thor, trying to figure him out, all he could think was,  _ what am I getting myself into? _


	2. Two

It was only a couple days later that it was time to go on vacation, and time for Loki’s lie to begin. Thor had been completely okay with the whole thing, which confused Loki, but he was completely appreciative of his cooperation. 

And Loki couldn’t  _ wait _ to see Ashley’s face when he actually did show up with a man. 

They were taking Tony’s Dad’s private jet- seriously, his family was so rich- to their destination, and Loki actually felt excited about this. He desperately needed a vacation, and what was better than spending a week at the beach with his friends?

Literally all of his friends would be there. Tony and Steve (duh), Clint Barton- who was the most emotional creature on earth- and Natasha Romanov, who was Clint’s best friend and a badass woman that didn’t take shit from anyone. Then there was Bruce Banner, another genius who loved science and was cute and awkward,  _ unless _ you got on his bad side. And last but not least, was James Buchanan Barnes, or Bucky for short. Bucky was kind and funny, easy on the eyes, and had a deep love for almost everything. He was planning on becoming a vet. No one was surprised. 

So it was them and a couple of Ashley’s friends, but those people kept to themselves most of the time. They were weird, and no one but Ashley paid them much attention. And the only reason Ashley or her friends came at all was because Loki couldn’t tell her no without her becoming a psychotic bitch. 

Sighing, Loki zipped up his bag and put his hands on his hips. He quickly scanned his room, trying to see if there was anything he’d missed in his rush to pack. But the way his bag literally weighed more than him, he was pretty sure he got  _ too much _ stuff. 

But he didn’t have time to change anything, because just then there was a loud knock on his door. Loki grabbed his bag, wobbling for a second from the heaviness, before he made his way to the door. 

Throwing it open, he was met with the glorious sight of Thor Odinson. Today he was wearing a dark grey button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark black jeans that clung to him in all the right places, and Loki was sure he could walk around in a trash bag and people would still fall to their knees in front of him. His hair was up in a bun, a few strands falling out to frame his face. 

_ He’s literally perfect _ , Loki thought. 

“Hey!” Thor exclaimed, grinning like his usual happy self, “You ready?” 

“Yeah, I am. Thank you for doing this.” Loki said, shifting his bag. Thor noticed, and took it away from the smaller man with ease, bicep flexing as he lifted the bag onto his shoulder. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I could help.” 

Loki nodded, smiling thankfully, and the two of them left his apartment. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, they were at the airport, and Loki spotted his group of friends with ease. And then he saw Ashley, and knew there was no going back now. What if he couldn’t do this? 

But then, Thor grabbed Loki’s hand and intertwined their fingers. Loki looked at their hands. Thor’s hand was warm and rough, and Loki liked that a lot. He moved his gaze up to the other man’s face. 

“That’s Ashley, then.” He commented, looking over at the psycho girl, who was laughing at something she shouldn’t laugh at and flicking her disgustingly perfect blonde hair off her shoulder.

Even though it wasn’t a question, Loki answered, “Yes, that’s her.” 

Thor nodded, giving Loki’s hand a comforting squeeze, “We got this. I’m going to be the best fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.” 

That made Loki laugh, and he felt a weight come off his chest. They walked over to the group of people, and Ashley’s cold hazel eyes instantly fell on Loki. 

“Loki!” She beamed, faking happiness. She sashayed over to him, flashing her pearly white teeth, “I can’t believe you came. This must be your… boyfriend?” 

Before Loki could speak, Thor took the lead. 

“Yes, I’m Loki’s boyfriend. You must be Ashley. I’m Thor.” He said, holding out his free hand for Ashley to shake. Ashley hesitantly took it, clearly shocked. She’d obviously assumed Loki was lying. 

“Yeah. Thanks for… stealing my boyfriend.” Ashley said, that coldness never leaving her eyes. Loki scoffed, leaning into Thor. 

“He didn’t steal me. You lost me. A long time ago.” 

And with that, Loki’s bitchy ex let out a humorless laugh and went back to join her friends. Loki sighed, looking up at the small height gap between him and Thor. 

“This week is going to be hell.” Loki apologized. 

Thor smiled, reaching over and tucking a strand of Loki’s hair behind his ear, “I’m looking forward to it.” 

Loki shivered at the intimate touch, but convinced himself it was all part of the show. Of course it was. 

“Come on, let’s go say hi to your friends.” Thor murmured, leading Loki over to the familiar group of people that were chattering excitedly about the week to come. Loki sat next to Clint, who was telling Natasha how he was going to learn how to surf and conquer the waves of the sea, and let out a tired sigh. He hadn’t been able to sleep last night because of some last-minute assignments, and it was taking its toll on him this morning. 

“Hey, Loki! Hey, Thor! I just gotta tell you, I was so happy to hear that you guys were together. You both deserve to be happy.” Bucky began, excitement on his face, and he said the next part quiet enough that only their little group could hear, “And Ashley deserves to be left in the dust.” 

That made everyone laugh, all agreeing eagerly. No one liked Ashley very much. Except herself. And maybe her friends. 

“No, but seriously, we’re happy for you guys. And welcome to the group, Thor.” Natasha said kindly, cutting off Clint’s goals about becoming the best surfer out of all of them. 

They believed Thor and Loki were an actual couple. That had been Loki’s request. Although he hated lying to his friends, he had to make the story as believable as possible, and that meant very little people were aware. So, for all Loki’s friends knew, Thor and Loki  _ were _ a couple. 

“Alright, enough of all the happy, lovey-dovey stuff. This is vacation! It’s time to party!” Tony exclaimed, and everyone cheered enthusiastically. 

Soon after that, everyone loaded their stuff onto the jet and sat in their respective areas. Ashley and her friends took the front of the plane, and Tony’s group sat with each other in the back. 

Thor took his spot next to Loki, and Loki looked at all his friends, then Thor, sighing contently. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought it’d be. 

The flight was only about two hours, and the entire time was filled up with everyone chatting about one thing or another. Needless to say, time flew by, and soon they were arrived at their destination. 

Tony, being the dramatic gay asshole he is, got them a limo to ride from the airport to the beach mansion. No one was complaining. All through the ride to the mansion, people took turns poking their heads out of the sunroof, and all the windows were rolled down, letting the cool air rush through the car. 

On Loki’s turn, he smiled brightly at the wind whipping his face and tangling his hair. He turned his face up to the sun, enjoying the warmth it brought. He spread out his arms, laughing gleefully and feeling happier than he had in months. He didn’t want to leave this feeling. 

And soon, the air turned salty, and he looked to his right only to be greeted with the glistening ocean. 

“Guys!” He called, pointing out at the water, “Look!” 

He heard chatter from down below, and soon he heard a chorus of  _ Oooh _ ’s and  _ Wow _ ’s as his friends and Ashley’s group stuck their head out the windows and looked at the sea. 

It wasn’t long before they were at the house- well, mansion- and Loki’s friends climbed out of the limo and ran towards the water without even thinking about having to get their luggage out. They all stripped down to their underwear and ran into the water, laughing excitedly. Loki watched, smiling, and he got out of the limo slowly, inhaling the air. 

Ashley’s friends looked at the people in the water with something akin to disgust, and they all went straight to the mansion like the completely fun-suckers they were. Loki walked over to the trunk, opened it, and started to pull out everyone’s luggage. He hadn’t noticed Thor standing nearby, not until he spoke. 

“So, you’re the mature friend, then?” 

Loki turned to him, a slight smile on his face, and nodded, “I am. Most of the time. Sometimes Banner or Natasha take my place. But it’s mostly me. I prefer letting them have fun than having to worry about someone else missing out.” 

“That’s very kind of you.” Thor replied, walking over and taking some bags out of the trunk. 

“Thank you. But you don’t need to do that. You should go relax, have some fun. I can take care of this.” Loki insisted, closing the trunk and turning to the muscular man. 

“No, no. A good boyfriend wouldn’t let his partner do all the work while he got to have fun. I’m going to help you.” Thor explained. The term ‘Boyfriend’ sent a shiver down Loki’s spine. Not because it was a lie, but because he liked how it sounded. Sighing, he nodded, and the two headed into the house with everyone’s stuff. 

The mansion itself was the nicest place Loki had ever been in. It was white, with four stories and tons of rooms inside. Every room had a breathtaking view of the ocean out the window, and were bigger than Loki’s entire apartment. There was a movie theater room- it was literally a movie theater, with a big screen and recliners, a giant kitchen and living room, and it was literally twenty yards from the beach. It was perfect. Or at least Loki thought so. 

“This place is so nice.” Thor’s voice was hushed as he said that, as if he were scared it would all shatter around him if he was too loud. Loki smiled to himself, watching the other man look around in awe. 

“It really is,” Loki assured, “Now, let’s get these put away so we can start vacationing.” 

Thor looked at him, blue eyes sparkling, and he quickly agreed. 

Spring Break had officially begun. 


	3. Three

It wasn’t until well into the evening when Loki’s friends made their way back from the beach and to the beach mansion. They were all laughing and talking excitedly about how nice the water was, or a sea creature they’d seen, but overall they were ready for food. 

“You all go and shower, and I’ll order pizza. Tony, I’m putting it on your card.” Loki told them, and they all agreed and headed upstairs to wash the salty water off of them. 

It was twenty minutes later when they were all lounging in the living room in comfy clothes, the windows open to let in the warm, ocean air. A movie played on the TV, but none of them were really paying attention to it, instead choosing to talk to each other. 

It was pleasant for the most part. Ashley and her group stayed to themselves and stayed quiet, only adding to the conversation when necessary. That was, until Ashley’s cold eyes fell on Thor and Loki. 

“Tell me, how did you two meet?” She asked, and all other conversation died off. Loki looked at her, clenched his fists, and opened his mouth to speak. 

But instead, it was Thor who spoke, “He and I are in the same Sociology class. I’d been crushing on him for awhile before I talked to him. He was so smart and handsome, and he… he didn’t take any shit from anyone and I liked that. So one day, I made myself to talk to him. After class, I walked up to him and I asked him if he wanted to get some coffee. He was skeptical at first, probably thinking I just wanted homework help, but he said yes. And, well, one thing lead to another and here we are.” 

Loki blinked. How did Thor know he was in a Sociology class? 

“Awe, that’s so cute.” Clint exclaimed, and everyone laughed lightly. Thor wrapped an arm around Loki, pulling him close, and Loki smiled. 

“How was I supposed to know you actually liked me? You’d never so much as asked me the time before, and then you were asking me for coffee. Of course I assumed you wanted help with homework.” Loki explained. Thor chuckled. 

“I probably do need homework help, but that wasn’t the case. I’d just been nervous. You have a way of doing that to me.” Thor explained, voice a little husky. 

“Ew, gross. Get a room.” Tony said, grimacing. Thor laughed his loud laugh, shaking his head. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to be loving towards my boyfriend.” Thor teased, brushing his fingers up and down Loki’s arm. Then, the doorbell rang, and the room erupted in cheers of “Pizza!” and “Finally!” 

“I’ve got it. Banner, go get some plates and napkins.” Loki explained, pulling himself from Thor’s embrace and standing up. 

“And some drinks!” Tony called after Banner, who was retreating into the kitchen. Loki rolled his eyes, going over to the front door and collecting the pizza and giving the man a tip. He walked back into the room, setting the boxes on the coffee table next to the plates, napkins, and drinks. Everyone got their food, and the night continued with pizza and quiet conversations. 

It was ten p.m. when Ashley decided not to harass Thor and Loki anymore and go to bed. All her friends followed. So it was just Loki, Thor, and their group. The movie that everyone had ignored was over. The crashing of waves could be heard from the windows as everyone lazily sat around with full bellies and happy moods. 

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Bucky asked, turning to Tony. Everyone looked at the billionaire, waiting for his answer. 

“Well, breakfast first, and then we’re all going to go to the amusement park about an hour away, which will take up most of our day. Then we’ll come here and just relax and eat, swim if we want.” He shrugged, “Try to get Ashley and her friends to leave early.” 

That last part made everyone laugh, but they were all pretty excited at the prospect of going to an amusement park. And there was a good chance Ashley’s clan wouldn’t join them. They never did on vacation, mostly just staying in the mansion and doing whatever it is they do. 

“Sounds good. I’m excited.” Natasha commented, and Clint nodded in agreement. 

They stayed up for another hour and a half, talking and laughing and just overall having fun. But they soon all decided to call it a night, knowing they’d need energy for the day to come. 

Thor and Loki walked to their room, Thor yawning widely. Yes, they had to share a room. They had to make it believable. Loki walked in, sighing. 

“You can take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.” Loki offered, turning to the other man. Thor shook his head, smiling slightly. 

“No, we have to share the bed. Have to make it believable. What if someone walked in and you were on the floor and I was alone in bed? They’d know something was up.” Thor explained, voice almost teasing. 

Loki nodded. He hadn’t thought about that, “You’re right. We’ll both take the bed.” 

“Just a fair warning, I’m a cuddler.” Thor warned, closing the door behind him and walking over to the bed. Loki chuckled, climbing under the covers and scooting to make room for Thor. 

“Of course you are.” 

Thor slid into bed, sighing. He turned on his side, facing Loki, who was watching him with bright green eyes. 

“Thank you for doing this.” Loki whispered.

A smile graced Thor’s lips, “Thank you for giving me an excuse to come on a weeklong free vacation.” Loki grinned, scooting a little closer. 

“Please, it’s purely selfish why you’re here.” Loki countered. Thor shook his head. 

“So? Doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.” Thor pointed out. Loki chuckled, nodding. 

“I guess that’s true.” 

Thor smiled, closing his eyes. “Good night, Loki.” 

“Good night, Thor.” 

Loki closed his eyes, and allowed himself to fall asleep. And when he woke up, he was enveloped in strong, warm arms. 


End file.
